Thousands of individuals die every year from asphyxiation that results from a blockage of the trachea. The blockage may be due to one of many reasons. For example, the blockage may be a collapse of the trachea due to facial and/or neck trauma or a collection of blood, mucus, bone fragment, teeth, and other substances. The blockage may result from a foreign object such as food or other material.
When a blockage to the trachea occurs, every minute that the individual lacks oxygen is critical. Depriving the brain of oxygen for only a few minutes may result in permanent brain damage or even death. Therefore, treatments such as the Heimlich maneuver and the tracheotomy have been developed.
The Heimlich maneuver requires that a rescuer squeeze the torso of the individual to force out air trapped within the lungs. However, the Heimlich maneuver is generally only successful where the blockage is a foreign object that can be expelled from the trachea by the air being forced from the lungs. Furthermore, the Heimlich maneuver is not always successful even for foreign objects because the object is lodged too tightly and/or because there is an insufficient amount of air trapped within the lungs to be expelled.
The tracheotomy is, heretofore, primarily a surgical procedure that is done by a skilled surgeon within the confines of a hospital or other emergency facility. The conventional tracheotomy requires that an incision be made by a surgeon in the neck of the patient so that an opening to the trachea can be created between the blockage and the lungs to allow the lungs to receive air or other breathable gas. While the conventional tracheotomy is almost always successful at clearing a pathway to the lungs, the delay necessary to transport the individual to an appropriate facility where a conventional tracheotomy may be performed may result in permanent brain damage or death.